Pump volute liner



p ,1941. F. B. ALLEN 2,255,239

PUMP VOLUTE LINER Filed March 4, 1938 INVENT FRANK 3,411

BY M ,14,11,72?

ATTORNEYS' Patented Sept. 9, 1941 PUMP VOLUTE LINER' Frank B. Allen, Lower Merion Township, -Montgomery County, Pa., assignor to The Allen- Sherman- 'fi a y, Ph a e phia ,la a

corporation of Pennsylvania.

Application March 4, 1938, serial'No. 193,9 14

.5 Claims.

Thi invention relates to centrifugal pumps and more particularly to an improved shoulder lining for centrifugal pumps which are used to pump abrasive material such as mixtures of sand, gravel and water.

In extensive dredging and filling operations centrifugal pumps are frequently used to convey mixtures of water and gravel, earth, sand, etc. Such service is extremely hard on the pump parts which come in contact with the abrasive fluid. Some parts of the pump are, of course, subjected to more wearing action than others and numerous attempts have been made to protect these parts to increase the life of the pumps. The present invention contemplates the application of replaceable, segmental, reinforced rubber shoulder lining membersat the edges or shoulders of the annular opening into the pump volute chamber. These edges are subjected to great wear due to the impact of the abrasive material as it leaves the pump impeller and it -is among the objects of my invention to provide an improved shoulder protecting liner for centrifugal pumps which will offer great resistance to wear, which will preserve the contour of the pump volute, which may be readily replaced when worn, and which may be economically manufactured and installed.

The above and. other objects of my invention will appear from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary vertical section through the shell or volute of a centrifugal pump illustrating my improved shoulder liners and a portion of the pump impeller.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the shoulder liners shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detached perspective view of one of my improved shoulder liner segments.

Figure 4 is an illustrative detached elevational view taken substantially on line 44 of Figure 1 and showing several of my liner members in the positions they assume when installed in a pump.

The outer portion of the pump impeller is shown at l in Figure 1 and may be supported in In order to assist in forming a fluid tight seal between the shoulder members S and the side plates 3 and .4 wedge shaped annular rubber members 9, and IOare preferably provided. These are so formed that, .when the side plates 3 and 4 are bolted into position by means of the usual retaining bolts H and I2, they are slightly compressed to form a tight seal between the rubber shoulder members Sand the wear resisting metal liningmembersi and 6. 1

In apreferred embodiment of my invention eight shoulder members S are used to completely line each shoulderof'the pumpshell. -Eachof the segmental liners includes an angle shaped metal reinforcing member or 'core' 13 which pref erably is perforated on both of its legs as indicated at M and which i provided with a pairof bosses l5. These angle reinforcing members are bent to the proper curvature to conform to the pump shoulder and are molded under pressure into the rubber body of the segment. Rubber is thus forced completely through the perforations in the reinforcing member and the entire segment is completely covered with rubber except for the faces of the bosses I5, as is clearly seen in Figures 3 and 4. When properly vulcanized a very strong reinforced rubber liner is provided.

These bosses l5 are drilled and tapped to accommodate the retaining screws l6. By forming the bosses l5 on the reinforcing members I3 a rigid abutment is provided which is drawn up against the pump shell 2 by the screws l6 and thus holds the reinforcing members firmly in position. I

As is best seen from Figures 3 and 4, the ends of each segment S are beveled at I I, preferably at an angle of substantially 45", both ends of each segment being beveled in the same direction. When the segments are installed in a pump these beveled ends are disposed as shown in Figure 4 in relation to the direction of rotation of the impeller which is indicated by the arrow. This cut back arrangement of the ends prevents the forcing of solid material intothe joint between the ends of adjacent segments. In order to further unify the entire shoulder liner structure, when the segments are installed in the pump runner housing, rubber cement or other suitable adhesive is preferably placed on the beveled ends of the adjoining segments thus forming a substantially integral annular shoulder liner.

By making the lining members in relatively short reinforced segmentsjas described and firmly bonding and interlocking th rubber of each segment to the metal reinforcing member,

shoulder liners have been in extensive use in handling many millions of cubic yards of extremely abrasive mixtures of water, gravel, sand, boulders, etc. They have greatly outlasted other types of pump shoulder constructions and although I have described in considerable detail the illustrated embodiment of my invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that variations and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention. I do not, therefore, wish to be limited to the specific arrangement herein illustrated and described, but claim as my invention all forms thereof coming within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: l

1. A liner member for the shoulder of the volute of a centrifugal pump comprising a segmental, perforated, angle-shaped reinforcing member, and a rubber body surrounding said reinforcing member on all sides and ends, said reinforcing member having a boss portion extending out through said rubber body, said boss portion having a threaded aperture extending thereinto.

2. A liner member unit for the shoulder of the shell of a centrifugal pump comprising a segmental rubber body having a rigid reinforcing member substantially completely enclosed therein and having its opposite ends beveled in the same direction.

3. A shoulder protection for a centrifugal pump housing comprising a plurality of segmental liner members, each having a rubber body and a reinforcing member enclosed therein and having its opposite ends beveled in the same direction, said liner members being secured to said housing with their beveled ends abutting and overlapping in the direction of rotation of the pump impeller.

4. In a centrifugal pump, an impeller, a housing having an annular shoulder portion adjacent the periphery of said impeller, and a detachably secured rubber ring at said shoulder, said ring being made up of a plurality of separately reinforced, rubber covered, segmental members having their ends all beveled in the same direction and disposed in overlapping rubber to rubber engagement.

5. In a centrifugal pump, a shell having an annular shoulder portion, a plurality of shoulder liner members separately secured to said shell and arranged in abutting end to end relation,

.each of said shoulder liner members having its opposite ends beveled in the same direction and including a rigid reinforcing core covered with rubber, and separately operable means for securing said shoulder liner members to said shell with the beveled ends of adjacent liner members abutting and overlapping in the direction of rotation of the pump impeller.

FRANK B. ALLEN. 

